1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to preparations for the treatment of the skin and hair containing a special combination of active substances.
The washing and care of hair is an important part of personal hygiene.
Both the washing of hair with shampoos and the decorative treatment of hair, for example by coloring or permanent waving, are actions which influence the natural structure and properties of the hair. Thus, following a such treatment, the wet and dry combability, hold and body of the hair, for example, can be unsatisfactory or the number of so-called split ends can be increased. In addition, uniform distribution of the dyes applied with hair colorants is often problematical.
Accordingly, it has long been standard practice to subject the hair to a special aftertreatment. To this end, the hair is treated with special active substances, for example quaternary ammonium salts or special polymers, in the form of a rinse. Depending on the formulation used, this treatment improves, for example, the combability, hold and body of the hair, reduces the number of split ends or improves color distribution.
In addition, so-called combination preparations have recently been developed with a view to reducing the effort involved in standard multistage processes, particularly where they are directly applied by the consumer.
In addition to the usual components, for example for cleaning the hair, these preparations additionally contain active substances which previously were reserved for hair aftertreatment preparations. Accordingly, the consumer saves one application step. At the same time, packaging costs are reduced because one product less is used.
The active substances available both for separate aftertreatment formulations and for combination preparations still cannot meet all consumer requirements. In particular, there is a continuing need for active substances and combinations thereof which combine greater effectiveness with ready biodegradability. In addition, color retention is still problematical when the colored hair is washed repeatedly with standard shampoos.
Finally, many hair treatment formulations inevitably come into contact with the scalp. This can result in irritation, particularly in sensitive people. Accordingly, there is still a need to formulate the hair treatment preparations in such a way that there is no risk of scalp irritation. Ideally, the hair treatment preparations should even have a "caring" effect on the scalp.
It has now surprisingly been found that preparations containing a combination of three classes of active substance already known for the treatment of hair effectively satisfy the requirements stated above. In particular, very good dry and wet combability is achieved. In the case of colored hair, a good levelling effect with surprisingly high color retention is in addition achieved. Moreover, a caring effect on the scalp was observed. Finally, preparations in which almost all the components are readily biodegradable can be formulated with this combination of active substances.